An Open Letter to the

PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

OPEN LETTER
To Her Excellency
GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
President
Republic of the Philippines

Dear Madam President:

Peace, democracy, freedom and respect for human rights we believe, are cornerstones of the strong republic that we all aspire for.

Gathering for Peace, a coalition of 56 Non-government and peoples organizations, political blocks, students, concerned individuals, and members of the academe write this Open Letter today to express our deep concern over your administration’s recent actions and directives governing RP-US relations, which we feel erode the very foundation of this vision for a strong Philippine Republic.

We raise our concern over your administration’s lack of action on what we feel are very serious allegations of Violations of the Terms of Reference of the Balikatan Exercise 02-1.

The administration should in the name of our national interest look into allegations made recently by Bayan una Representatives Satur Ocampo and Liza Masa that a US solider shot a suspected Abu Sayyaf member in Lamitan Basilan. The government should lend its all out support to the call made by Akbayan Representative Etta Rosales for a Congressional investigation into the incident instead of just brushing the issue aside and resorting to simple name calling.

The government should in the interest of truth and in the name of transparency address head on the nagging concern over the continued deployment of US Special forces beyond the period defined under the TOR.

It should explain to the Filipino people why despite its constant denials, around 160 US troops from the Balikatan 02-1 contingent currently remain in the country. We ask your administration to explain under what terms and conditions will these Special Forces continue to operate in the country?.

We reiterate our opposition to the Extension of the scope and coverage of Balikatan Exercises 02-1.

We voice our concern over the creeping Secrecy surrounding the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangements (MLSA).

The MLSA has reportedly been approved already by your Cabinet, without the public knowing exactly what the agreements contain. So little information on this agreement, which directly affects our national security and sovereignty has been made public.

Gathering for Peace supports the call made by our lawmakers for a Congressional Briefing by US Secretary of State Colin Powell and the Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Defense of the Philippines on the real status of the MLSA.

Finally, we are saddened that in the face of growing citizens protests, your Administration chooses to infringe upon the right to freedom of speech, expression and peaceful assembly

The “no permit, no rally” order, as well as the order lifting the “maximum tolerance policy” on people’s actions infringe upon the people’s constitutional rights to freedom of speech, expression and peaceful assembly.

It is quite ironic that the Arroyo Administration now constraints the very freedoms that brought it into power in the first place.

Gathering for Peace supports the national call for a strong republic Madam President, but believe that the way forward rests upon the principles of independence and national sovereignty and not subservience.